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LHSC launches oral anti-coagulation clinic

(LONDON, Ontario) - London Health Sciences Centre and Lawson Health Research Institute are launching a new clinic that will provide specialized care for patients requiring the use of blood thinners, especially the drug warfarin.

There are currently more than 200,000 Canadians on the blood thinner warfarin. Dosing of warfarin is challenging as there is a wide variation in how a patient’s body will respond. Variations in a gene involved in blood clotting can cause the medication to be highly effective in some people while, in others, the same dose may cause fatal side effects.

The clinic, located at University Hospital, is the first of its kind to integrate personalized medicine research into patient care, through the use of genotyping technologies, which matches required dosages of the blood thinner warfarin to an individual’s genetic traits. By understanding an individual’s genetic makeup and testing for such differences, the new clinic will play a crucial role in decreasing adverse side effects.

About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for over 130 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital, two family medical centres, and Lawson Health Research Institute - a joint research initiative with St Joseph’s Health Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 30 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s 10,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca.

About Lawson Health Research Institute
As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care, London, and working in partnership with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. For more information visit www.lawsonresearch.com .